When it goes on sale later this year, the C63 will be the first AMG car to employ an innovative four-cylinder hybrid engine rather than its long-standing V8 powerplant. The vehicle will be one of several forthcoming new AMG models to feature an electric version of Mercedes’ new turbocharged 2.0-litre M139 engine.
In non-electrified form, the formidable four-cylinder engine produces 416bhp and 369lb ft of torque in the new Mercedes-AMG A 45 and its related siblings. The unit is already designed for longitudinal attachment and mild-hybrid electric boosting.
Mercedes has revealed that the petrol engine in the new C63 has been tweaked to produce 470bhp in its own right, making it the most powerful four-cylinder engine in series production. It will then be coupled with a 201bhp EV motor on the back axle – a configuration Mercedes refers to as the ‘P3’ drivetrain – for a total of 670bhp.
The M139 engine will utilise a 48V integrated starting motor, similar to the turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder M256 unit that powers the CLS 53 4Matic+ and other recent new AMG cars.
The new EQ Boost hybrid drivetrain will also work with Mercedes’ nine-speed torque-converter MCT Speedshift gearbox.
The whole C-Class lineup is powered by electrified four-cylinder engines, with plug-in and mild-hybrid technologies being pushed out across the board for improved economy and consequently lower emissions.
One of the most notable advantages of using the new electrified driveline is weight reduction over the front axle. The M139 four-cylinder engine weighs 48.5kg less than the M177 V8 engine in the preceding C63 4Matic, weighing 160.5kg.
overall the same system or configuration is to be used in the 2024 AMG C63 S E , but this being its first application and would have to wait for non road reviews and performance of this electrified 4 pot engine.